Improvement in furnaces for smelting copper



J. DAVIES.

Smelting Metals.

No. 56,725. Patented July 31,1866.

W3. L-::I"" es M x g Q 7 W H W Wit lnventgr:

UNITED STATES JOHN DAVIES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN FURNACES FOR SMELTING COPPER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,725, dated July 31, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DAVIES, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Furnaces for Smelting Copper; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a horizontal section through so much of a copper-smeltin g furnace as will illustrate my particular invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section through the same. Fig. 3 represents a transverse vertical section through that portion of the furnace where the gases escape and'are carried off. Fig. 4 represents, in perspective, and on an enlarged scale, the stopper or plug which I introduce to prevent themelted copper from eating through or escaping into the tunnel through which the gases pass to the stack or chimney.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures, denote like parts of the furnace in all the drawings.

In smelting copper, the practice is to build a series of furnaces, all of which have an escape-communication, with an arch or tunnel under ground that leads to the stack or chimney, whence the noxious gases or vapors of the melted copper are escaped at considerable height above the ground. In such an arrangement there is necessarily a descending or diving flue from each furnace to the tunnel, and as the highly-heated products from the fur naces must pass down these flues, the portions of the furnace surrounding or adjacent to these diving-fines become highly heated also.

The tendency of molten copper is to eat through the lining of the furnace, as also through the exterior brick-work, and its greatest tendency to .do so is where the greatest heat exists--viz., at or near the diving-flueand when it does escape at that point it runs into the tunnel, and, chilling there, stops it up, and is exceedingly difficult to remove, and often requires great loss of time and heavy expense. Should this contingency occur elsewhere than at or near the tunnel it would not be so material, as it would only perhaps stop the single furnace where it occurs, while, when it takes place at or near any of the descending flues which lead into the tunnel it invariably chokes up the tunnel and stops everything until cleaned out.

The object and purpose of my invention is to provide against the casualty above mentioned occurring-at or near the descending flue and stopping the metal should it eat through or escape where it is liable to run into the tunnel; and my invention consists in'interposing between the hearth of the furnace and the gas-flue leading into the tunnel a metallic stopper or cut-off for catching and stopping the molten copper should it eat or break through the lining or walls in that locality, and thus prevent it from running into and clogging or choking the tunnel or archway leading to the stack.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same in connection with the drawings, first premising that I have only shown so much of the outline of the furnace as will explain the application of my invention thereto, and not confining myself to any special detail of such smelting-furnaces.

A represents the exterior walls of a smelting-furnace, constructed of any of the usual materials used for that purpose and of any of the usual forms.

B represents the location of the fire; O, the fire-bridge; D, the hearth, and E the flue into which the gas and noxious vapors pass from the furnace. The flue E extends upward to nearthe top of the furnace, and there unites with a horizontal flue, F, which, in turn, connects with a descending flue, G, that leads into the tunnel or archway H and thence to the stack.

In the wall of the furnace, and between the hearth D or the molten metal thereon and the descending flue G, is made a curved or other shaped space, a, Fig. 1, into which a metal stopper or cut-off, I, Fig. 4, is placed, so that should the molten metal escape at any point where it would be likely to run into the arch or tunnel H it would be stopped against this plate, which, for the purpose of being kept as cool as possible, I prefer to make hollow, as seen in the figure, so that a current of atmospheric air may constantly pass through it, and

thus tend to keep it cool. The moment the between the hearth or interior of the furnace molten metal comes in contact with this stopand the descending flue that leads into the per-plate it chills and is instantly checked. tunnel a metallic or other equivalent stopper Other material may possibly be used for a or plug, to prevent the molten metal, should it stopper; but cast-iron answers Well and is break through at that point, from runninginto cheap. and choking up the tunnel, as described.

Having thus fully described the nature, ob- JOHN DAVIES. ject, and purpose of my invention, what I Witnessess: claim is- BENJAMIN HARRIS, In furnaces for smelting copper, interposing HENRY ROBERTS. 

